The pilot and passenger of an experimental plane said they are luck to be alive after falling more than 500 feet out of the air.

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Updated: 10:01 PM CDT Apr 17, 2017

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WEBVTT The 100-thousand dollar gyroplane had just taken offfrom the knoxville airport. Monte goodyk was shooting video for his friend, jeff jorgenson, who was taking his first ride inthe small plane. Andthen...disaster.<We didn't quitemake the field, we hit some power lines on the way down, andwe ended up in the ditch, but itwas a safe landing and we walkedaway from it> That's right... Jorgenson says he and the pilot miles loomis barely had a scratch.< after we hit theground really my first thoughtwas we have to get out of thisthing. I could smell fuel, Iknew there was fuel leaking. Icould also see smoke> the smoke turned out to be a grass fire started by the power line theysnagged on the way down.< We heard thecrash and then we saw the smoke>In a facetime interview ,Photographer Monte Goodyk told us he was shocked when he found the two alive at the end of the runway. < I feared we weregoing to be pulling people from a burning wreck> Jorgenson is also a former national guardpilot and a flight instructor,so he knew the planes owner dithe right thing by trying toland when he lost power. He's alive, he says, thanks to goodpilot training...and a higher power.< God looked after

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Pilot, passenger survive gyroplane crash from 500 feet

The pilot and passenger of an experimental plane said they are luck to be alive after falling more than 500 feet out of the air.

The pilot and passenger of an experimental plane said they are luck to be alive after falling more than 500 feet out of the air.Emergency crews were called to a small gyroplane crash near Knoxville early Monday afternoon. The crash happened near the Knoxville Airport at around 1:45 p.m. at Nixon Street and Highway 14. Crash survivor Jeff Jorgenson said he and pilot Miles Loomis had just taken off from the Knoxville Airport in the $100,000 gyroplane when it stalled at about 500 feet and went into an uncontrolled descent. Jorgenson said the gyroplane clipped a power line and crashed into a ditch. “We didn't quite make the field,” Jorgenson said. “We hit some power lines on the way down and we ended up in the ditch, but it was a safe landing and we walked away from it.” Jorgenson and Loomis were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Crews had to put out a small grass fire caused by a downed power line from the crash. Photographer Monte Goodyk is friends with Jorgenson and was at the scene to shoot video of his first ride in the small plane. “I feared we were going to be pulling people from a burning wreck,” Goodyk told KCCI in a Skype interview. Jorgenson, a former National Guard pilot and a flight instructor, said he knew Loomis did the right thing by trying to land when he lost power. He said he is alive thanks to good pilot training and a higher power. “God looked after me today,” Jorgenson said. “There is no doubt about it.”FFA agents towed the homemade plane from the crash site. They will investigate why it lost power and crashed.

KNOXVILLE, Iowa —

The pilot and passenger of an experimental plane said they are luck to be alive after falling more than 500 feet out of the air.

Emergency crews were called to a small gyroplane crash near Knoxville early Monday afternoon.

The crash happened near the Knoxville Airport at around 1:45 p.m. at Nixon Street and Highway 14.

Crash survivor Jeff Jorgenson said he and pilot Miles Loomis had just taken off from the Knoxville Airport in the $100,000 gyroplane when it stalled at about 500 feet and went into an uncontrolled descent.

Jorgenson said the gyroplane clipped a power line and crashed into a ditch.

“We didn't quite make the field,” Jorgenson said. “We hit some power lines on the way down and we ended up in the ditch, but it was a safe landing and we walked away from it.”

Jorgenson and Loomis were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Crews had to put out a small grass fire caused by a downed power line from the crash.

Photographer Monte Goodyk is friends with Jorgenson and was at the scene to shoot video of his first ride in the small plane.

“I feared we were going to be pulling people from a burning wreck,” Goodyk told KCCI in a Skype interview.

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Jorgenson, a former National Guard pilot and a flight instructor, said he knew Loomis did the right thing by trying to land when he lost power. He said he is alive thanks to good pilot training and a higher power.

“God looked after me today,” Jorgenson said. “There is no doubt about it.”

FFA agents towed the homemade plane from the crash site. They will investigate why it lost power and crashed.